Folding-machine.



S. HOLLINGSWORTH.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2s, 1908. RENBWBD DEG. 1a, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IHHHIIIAI mvENToR @Mmmm-...xav

`BY l WITNEssla-s:`

ATTORNEY S. HOLLINGSWORTH.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAlLza, 1908. RBNEWEDADBG. 1s, 1909.

966,095. Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mg. b. me). u.

m9,. 5'. mg.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Maz/M g BY www UNrrEn srArEs PATENT oEEioE.

SAMUEL HOLLINGSWORTH, PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNO'R TO AMERICAN SALES BOOK COMPANY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF YORK.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed March 28, 1908, Serial No. 423,879. Renewed December 13, 1909. Serial No. 532,907.

To all whom it may concer/ri;

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HOLLINGS- won'rii, a citizen of the United' States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of N ew Jersey, have invented cer-- tain new and useful Improvements in Folding-lVIachines, 'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the folding cylinders employed in combination with printing and other machines through which paper passes in a continuous web, to be finally cut into sheets and folded for delivery; and the object of my improvements is to provide means for preventing tearing strains upon the web of paper lduring the folding operation.

I attain my object by constructing the folding cylinders in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents an end view, partially in section, of combined cutting and folding cylinders embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation showing one end of such cylinders; and Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, diagrammatic views illustrating the folding operation.

Like numerals designate like parts in the several views.

The cylinders 1 and 2, male and female, are shown in F ig. 1 as being provided, the onewith a cutting blade 3 and retaining points 4 of any suitable construction, and the other with a cutting block 5; so that the severed sheet will correspond in length to the circumference of the cylinders. Diametrically opposite the cutting blade the male cylinder is provided with a longitudinal slot, in which is located' the folding blade .6, said blade having a central bearing in the bottoni of the slot, and being adapted to rock back and forth between the outer edges of the slot. The blade 6 is held within the slot by a suitable number of studs 8, provided with coiled springs 7, which bear against the folding blade in the direction of rotation to press said blade against. the opposite edge of the slot. Within the female cylinder there is mounted a longitudinal oscillating gripper bar 10, carrying gripper face-pieces or jaws 9, the i uter edges of which are adapted to engage with fixed gripper blocks or jaws 11, set into the outer periphery of the cylinder. Atone end, the gripper bar is provided with an arm 12 carrying a roller 13 atits free end, which engages a fixed cam- 14, suitably fastened to the frame of the machine, the

roller 13 being -held in engagement with said cam by means of a spring 15 attached, at one e'ndto the end of the cylinder and, at the other end, to the arm 12; This cam motion is not essentially new in the art, and therefore sufficiently illustrated by the broken lines in Fig. 1.

16 is a roller by which the folded leaves are brought together as the female cylinderv continues vto revolve, after producing the fold; and 17 represents one of the conductors by which the folded sheets are discharged from the female cylinder; said conductors having their ends inserted in suitable circumferential grooves in the female cylinder, one of said grooves being shown in Fig. 2, and indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. The gripper bar is preferably in the form of a round rod, having the outward side flattened where the gripper blocks 11 project over it, said iiattening being sutiicient to permit the oscillating motionl ofthe bar to and from said blocks.

In operation: the end of the web, having had cut from it the preceding sheet by the knife blade 3, is carried around cylinder 1 by means of the pins 4, in the usual manner, until the cylinders approach the position shown in Fig. 3; the gripper face-pieces 9 in this position of the cylinder being retracted from the gripper blocks 11. As the cylinders continue to revolve the folding blade enters between these gripper jaws, as shown in Fig. 4, carrying the web with it. At this moment the arm 12 is actuated by the cam 14 and spring 15 to turn the gripper bar, thereby bringing the face-pieces 9 into engagement with the paper and pressing it against the blade 6. This movement o f the face-pieces is in the o posite direction to that of the rotation o the cylinders, and, as it continues, the blade 6 is pushed over toward the opposite side of its slot, so that during this period the blade is practically stationary relatively to the running web. The paper, therefore, is drawn in between the blade and the gripper blocks Withoutl strain upon the web; the parts being then in the position shown in Fig. 5. As the rotation of the cylinders continues the blade 6 will be drawn ont from the fold of the pa'- per, and the face-pieces 9 will be brought up against the gripper blocks 11, to carry the folded sheet to and beyond the roller 16, the cam 14C acting to release the gripper just before the sheet reaches the conductors 17. After being withdrawn from the gripper the folding blade 6' is returned to its normal ositon by the sprin s 7. Y

ile I have shown my improved folding device in combination with a cutting cylinder provided with one blade, it will be understood that any number of these folding blades may be applied to'such cylinder, according to the number of cutting blades carried thereby; and, also, that the device may be applied to folding cylinders Without the cutting blade, and wherever itis required to make afold in a running web of paper or other fabric. y

What I claim as m invention anddesire to secure by Letters atent is v A folding machine comprising a pair' of cylinders, one of said cylinders being provided With a folding blade susceptible of movement in the opposite direction to that of rotation, and the other of said cylinders being fprovided with a pair of gripper jaws, one o said jaws being so positioned as to 'be spaced'away from the rearward side of the folding blade whenentered between the jaws, the other jaw being movable and set in` advance of the folding blade, and means for-actuating the latter jaw to cause it to engage the ,folding blade and press it to the rear against the former jaw during the folding operation.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL HOLLINGSWORTH.

Witnesses Wma@ RUDDY, HENRY EGGERDING. 

